Mysterious Minstrel

Chapter 21

Kap City is the industrial head of the Gloria continent. As I enter the town tailgating Aileen and the other four in my team, I'm stunned by the difference between Kap City and Star Town. Here, it looks like a thriving metropolis of the 21st century. There are skyscrapers and cars, billboards lighting up the sky with advertisements of virtual accessories and other cosmetic items. I smell smog and gasoline. The smoke from the factories clouds the sky. It's a huge town, full of shopping malls and apartment buildings. I wonder how many Starlia players have set up their home base here. It looks like it could fit a hundred thousand.

"Let's get you two some new equipment," Mags says.

The pro members of Mysteriously lead me and Aileen to one of the shopping malls. There's no doubt that Kap City has advanced past the medieval state of Star Town. There are escalators and elevators leading up to multiple floors. Kiosks hold pamphlets and maps of Starlia. One has a giant overhead sign, reading Find the Weathering Fragments for an Ultimate Reward! Players are gathered around, watching the video of the first weathering fragment being found from the witch boss. Excitement sparks in their eyes, and gossip runs throughout the mall. I'm sure the weathering fragments are the most popular topic.

"The fifth floor has weapons and armor," Olivia informs me. "If you want to become pro players, you and Aileen need the proper equipment."

I ascend the escalator, admiring the glass dome ceiling and the overwhelming amount of boutiques selling clothing and accessories. Like Olivia said, the fifth floor is home to a giant display of weapons and armor. An NPC heads the front of the store. He smiles at us and twirls a finger through his gray speckled beard. His warm brown eyes look friendly enough.

"Welcome to the Kap City equipment store," he says. "Please find me if you have any questions."

"This place is enormous," Aileen says, her eyes wide. "I've never seen so much equipment in one place before."

Nathan grins. "It's a bonus to know about all the fancy places, once you're a member of Mysteriously."

Our guild leader sends us off to look for weapons and armor that sparks our interest. He says not to worry about cost, since we're rich after getting thousands of gold from the monster party event. I stroll through the aisles dedicated to minstrels. There are hundreds of harps here, various styles and sizes. The clothing also screams fancy, made of silk and other expensive fabrics. My eye catches a midnight blue choir outfit. It looks more pricey than all my real-life clothing combined. I cringe upon further examination.

Midnight Blue Robe. Price: 10,000 gold.

Ten thousand gold? That's twice more than all the gold I've gained in the game so far. I would never—

Nathan grabs it off the rack. "Nice choice. It fits within our budget too."

I look at him like he told me he's going to burn down the guild house. "Huh? I don't feel comfortable spending so much."

Nathan winks at me. "Mysteriously is richer than you know. We have enough funds to buy out this whole store."

Next—a new weapon. The harps are suspended on wooden shelves, rows and rows of them that must fill the space of a football field. For a good hour, I'm walking through trying to decide. There's so much variety. Do I want a metal harp or a wooden one? Should I go for a big size or smaller?

Cody taps his foot at the front of the store. "Can you hurry up, Josiah?"

Aileen waits there with her new equipment, armor made from violet-colored metal and a sleek broadsword that's polished to high heavens.

"Take your time," Nathan says, directly contradicting his general.

I pick the harp that caught my attention first. It's made from rose gold, with brass-colored strings and a medium-sized frame. It costs 12,000 gold, and it pains me a bit to bring both my choices up to the counter. Even though it's virtual money, I was always taught to be frugal with my resources.